Illusion-boat.



No. 859.604. PATENTED JULY 9, 1907.

V. E. JO SSBNBERGBR.

, ILLUSION BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1907.

4 8HEETBSHEET 1.

PATEN'IED JULY 9, 1907.

V. E. JOSSENBERGER.

ILLUSION BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1,1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ms NDRRIS PETERE co.. WASHINGTON. n c.

v. E.- JOSSENBBRGER.

PATENTED JULY 9, 1907.

ILLUSION BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Is PETERS co., wasmnormv. n c.

PATENTEDJULY 9. 1907.

V. E. JOSSENBERGER.

ILLUSION BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED 1211.1,1907.

THE NORRIS PETERS ma WASHING-KIN, m a

vamp STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR E. .TOSSENBERGER, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PHILIP W. GREENWALL, OF- FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

ILLUSION-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1907.

Application filed April 1,1907. Serial No. 365,663.

To al l whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, VICTOR JossnNBEReER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Worth, Texas,

have invented certain new and useful improvements in Illusion-Boats, of which the following is a specificaently real but wholly imaginary and to provide devices i which willlproduce scenic and other effects which which form a part of this application and specification.

are apparently real but wholly imaginary and illusory,' all of which work together to make it appear that a person is taking atrip on a boat ride in the arctic regions and encounters an electric and thunder storm.

I Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a horizontal section of the inclosure for carrying out the objects of this invention, showing a ing illusory breakers.

miniatureview of a boat and a view, partly perspective, =of the wave creating devices. Fig. 2 is a vertical section -ofjtheinc1osujre along the line 90 a; of Fig. 1, showing the scenic effects of the interior of the entrance to the boat. Fig.3 is a broken longitudinal section of the inclosure, showing the means for creatingastorm scene, including means for creating thunder, lightning, breakers, and rain. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the means for operating the curtains by means of the movements of the boat. Fig. 5 is a plan view, illustrating the means for creat- Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating the means for creating the illusory'transverse breakers. Fig. 8 is a verticalsection along the line y y of Fig. 6.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

A building of suitable construction is used to carry out the objects of this invention. This building has an entrance 1 and the passage 2 therethrough has the appearance of a grotto formed in an iceberg. inside of the building is a bridge 3 which leads to a boat 4. This boat is provided with seats for passengers and is mounted on wheels. Tracks 5 are provided for the boat. These tracks may extend any suitable length. The boat may be propelled by a driven cable 6 which is attached to each end of the boat and runs over a driving pulley 7. The pulley or drum 7 may be mounted on a shaft 8 which may be driven by any suitable power. The boat 4 can thus be moved forward and backward at will by the cable 6. The movement of the boat operates to raise and lower the curtains. Any suitable number of drop curtains 9 are mounted at the entrance brackets 11 attached to the walls.

to the frame pieces 18.

of the room or compartment 10. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the manner of operating the curtains. The curtains 9 are mounted on poles 12 which are supported in Cords 13 are attached to the bottom of the curtain and run up over the poles 12. Loops or holders 9 are attached to the curtains and the cords are run through the loops and serve as draw strings to draw the curtains up towards the poles out of view. The cords or ropes are then run over idlers l4 and attached to the rear of the boat 4. As the boat moves it will pull on the cord or rope which is run over the pole l2 and draw the curtain up towards the pole. When the boat moves backwards the rope or cord will cease to pull on the curtain. The curtain will descend by gravity as the boat passes back out of the compartment 10. Electric fans 15 may be located at suitable places on the walls of the building to. be set in operation at the will of the operator.

Phantom breakers are produced by devices shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive. Reels consisting of two disks 16 and shafts 17 for the disks are journaled in the frame pieces 18. Small frames 19 are pivotally mounted in the disks 16 by means of pivot bolts ortrunnions 20 which are rigid with the frames 19 near the edges there of. This will cause the frames to hang vertically between the disks. Suitable cloth or canvas is prepared by painting or otherwise and cut to represent waves and attached to the frames 19. The strips of cloth 21 are cut of suitable design at the upper parts. As the reels revolve the lower edges of canvas will drag over the axles or shafts 17 The reels are arranged in series and gradually increase in size from the front to the rear or from the nearest reel to the farthest reel and when in operation create the appearance of breakers advancing towards the spectators. In orderto vary the effect of the phantom breakers breakers may be made to move transversely along the horizon. This is accomplished by frames 22 which are pivotally connected to each other end to end and pivotally mounted on pedestals 23 which are attached to a bar 24 which is attach ed The frames 22 may be covered or painted in any suitable manner to represent water. A pitman 25 is pivotally connected with a pulley 29. This pitman has rigid therewith an arm 26 which is pivotally connected with the nearest frame 22. Consequently when the pulley revolves the frames 22 will be oscillated. This operation will create phantom waves or breakers running transversely to the breakers created by the reels 16. The reels 16 are revolved by pulleys 27 which are rigid with the shafts 1'7 and by a pulley or belt 28 which may be driven from shaft 8. The beit 28 runs over a pulley 29 and over idlers 30 to be operated by theshaft 8. The pulley belt 28 runs over each pulley 27 and under an idler 31 between each two pulleys 27. i

Means are provided for creatingan illusion of thunder. Troughs 32 are mounted on the side of the wall and the troughs are inclined at one end and arranged in series, the rear end of each trough being arranged under the forward end of the preceding trough. The forward end of each trough has a hole in the bottom thereof so that a steel ball will fall through into the rear end of the forward trough. Buffers 33 are attached to the forward end of each trough to arrest the balls and to cause the same to fall through to the next trough. The balls 34 are dropped into the rear end of the first trough. Steps 35 are formed in the bottom of the troughs for making noise as the balls roll over the steps. The balls falling into the trough will make the necessary noise to create the illusion of thunder.

Means are provided for causing an appearance of rain. A pipe 36 is suspended above the boat by hangers 37 and the lower side of the pipe is perforated for the escape of water. The water is cut off and held cut off by a cock 38 which is held normally closed by a spring 39. A cord 40 is attached to the cock and arranged within reach of the boat. At the proper time the cord 10 may be pulled to let the water fall on the roof of the boat.

Electric light globes 4] may be arranged at various places about the building to create flashes of lightning. The operator on the boat can by means of a picture throwing machine 42 throw pictures of various kinds on the Walls of the buildings'and also show clouds passing about the boat. I

It is apparent that all the devices herein described co-operate to create illusions from the time a person enters the grotto 2 until he leaves the boat across the bridge 43. The observation boat moves simultaneously with the curtains and with the breaker creating devices. The lightning and thunder creating devices are conveniently arranged to co-operate with the breakers and provision is made for causing an illusion of rain. The picture throwing machine is also used to make an appearance of clouds.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In an illusion creating scheme, an inclosure, a boat movable in said inclosure, drop curtains, and means operatively connecting said curtains with said boat to move the curtains as the boat moves.

2. In an illusion creating scheme, an inclosure, a boat mounted on wheels and movable in said inclosure, scenic curtains, and cords operatively connecting said curtain-s with said boat whereby said curtains are raised in the forward movement of said boat and dropped during the backward movement of said boat.

3. In an illusion creating scheme, an inclosure, a boat movable in said inclosure, breaker mechanism, gearing for driving said mechanism, and means for driving said breaker creating mechanism and said boat simultaneously consisting of a cable attached to said boat and actuated by said gearing 4. In an illusion creating scheme, an inclosure, a boat movable in said inclosure, drop curtains movable as said boat moves, breaker mechanism, and means for driving said boat and said breaker creating mechanism simultaneously.

5. In an illusion creating scheme, an inclosure, a boat movable in said inclosure and breaker mechanism 00- operating with said boat consisting of revolving disks and scenic sheets suspended on and hanging vertically between said disks while said disks are revolving. 6. In an illusion creating scheme, a boat, an inclosure divided into compartments, drop curtains forming the division into said compartments, cords operatively connecting said curtains with said boats, and breaker mechanism c0- operating with said boat and consisting of a series of pairs of revolving disks and scenic sheets suspended between and carried by said disks.

7. In an illusion creating scheme, a boat, a picture throwing machine carried by said boat, and breaker mechanism co-operating with said boat and consisting of revolving disks carrying scenic sheets hanging vertically thereon and of rocking scenic sheets actuated by said revolving disks.

8. In an illusion creating scheme, the combination of an inclosure, drop curtains dividing said inclosure into compartments, a boat movable in said compartments and actuating said curtains, breaker mechanism co-operating with said boat, and means for creating an illusion of thunder during the movement of said boat and said breaker .mechanism.

9. In an illusion creating scheme, the combination of an inclosure, drop curtains dividing said inclosure into compartments, a boat movable in said inclosure and actuating said curtains, breaker creating mechanism co-operating with said boat, a series of troughs attached to the walls of said inclosure, each trough having a hole in the forward end and each forward end being over the rear end of the trough in advance, said troughs being inclined forward, and having steps in the bottom thereof, and balls for rolling in said troughs.

10. In an illusion creating scheme, the combination of an inclosure, drop curtains dividing said inclosure into compartments, a boat movable in said inclosure and actu ating said curtains, breaker creating mechanism co-operating with said boat, a series of forwardly inclined troughs mounted on the interior walls of said inclosure, each trough having a hole in the forward end thereof and each forward end extending over the rear end of each trough in advance, balls rolling in said troughs, and means for creating lightning co-operating with said troughs and balls.

11. In an illusion creating scheme, the combination of an inclosure, drop curtains dividing said inclosure into compartments, a boat movable in said inclosure and actuating said curtains, breaker creating mechanism co-operating with said boat, a series of forwardly inclined troughs and balls rolling therein for creating an illusion of thunder, means for creating lightning cooperating with the thunder creating mechanism, and means for scattering Water on said heat,

In testimony whereof, I set my hand in the presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of March, 1907.

VICTOR E. .TOSSENBERGER.

Witnesses A. L. JACKSON, B. .T. LORKOWSKI. 

